Jason Kilar isn’t the only ex-Hulu executive with a new online video platform of his own. Alex Kruglov, Hulu’s former head of content acquisition, is a co-founder of Smiletime, an interactive video service that has announced its official launch.
Smiletime allows viewers to “smile in” to its video player, which allows them to interact with hosts, actors, and other viewers across six different screens. Hosts can poll and question their viewers in order to influence the direction of live programs, while a “virtual green room” aims to engage viewers before their “Smilecasts” begin.
This may seem like a lot of conceptual talk, but as Kruglov explains, Smilecast is, at its core, looking to put a spin on the way viewers interact with the content they enjoy. “Creatively, television is better than it’s ever been before. However, traditional TV experiences often do not allow viewers to fully engage, as multitasking with several devices has become the norm,” he said in a release. “Smiletime embraces the Internet’s distribution and interaction capabilities by creating a platform for what comes next after TV. We are creating a fundamentally different ‘lean in’ mode of communication between broadcaster and consumer that allows viewers to serve as an integral part of the storytelling.”
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If Smiletime is going to be successful, it’s going to need a killer lineup of content. That should be Kruglov’s strong suit, given his job title at Hulu, and Smiletime has already secured a few partners. One of the platform’s first users is Kurt Sutter, the creator of Sons of Anarchy, who hosts a talk show called Intercoarse. This sizzle reel offers a preview of that series and gives viewers a good demo of Smiletime’s interface:
Another Smiletime channel, Twin Galaxies Live, is casting gaming videos on the platform seven days a week.
Beyond these programs, more content is also on the way. In January 2015, a “CW Fan Talk” channel will let users discuss episodes of Arrow and Flash. Check back next month, then, if you want to try out Smiletime for yourself.
